MAD STARS, now in its 19th edition as one of Asia’s leading international marketing and advertising festivals, has announced 42 Final Jurors to date from 28 locations for its 2026 awards. They are part of a global judging body comprising more than 350 industry professionals from 83 locations, spanning every major region worldwide.
A restructured framework for evaluating creative work
For 2026, MAD STARS has reorganized its entry categories around two Groups that reflect how creative work is developed and assessed today.
The SOLUTION Group covers campaigns that combine strategy and execution to address real business and communication challenges.
The POSITIVE IMPACT Group recognizes creative work that generates meaningful change across society, with entries evaluated against values including sustainability, diversity, health, and public responsibility.
Within this framework, the 42 Final Jurors announced to date are organized into five specialized panels: Traditional, Experience, Entertainment, Strategy, and Digital. Each panel is aligned with a specific cluster of the 25 Stars.
The final jurors announced to date
The jurors represent leading agencies, brands, and creative organizations across Asia-Pacific, MENA, Europe, and the Americas. Together, they bring hands-on experience across the full range of disciplines covered in the awards, from craft-led traditional advertising and brand experience to data-driven strategy, digital innovation, and purpose-driven work.
This breadth of expertise reflects the scope of MAD STARS 2026’s two-Group framework, ensuring that entries in both the SOLUTION Group and the POSITIVE IMPACT Group are evaluated by jurors with firsthand experience in the relevant field.
The final-stage judging process is led by five Executive Jury members, who bring senior-level expertise in brand leadership, technology-driven creativity, creative strategy, and marketing effectiveness.
How judging works
All entries first undergo online Preliminary Judging, with selected works advancing to the First Round of Final Judging, also conducted online. The Second and Last Rounds of Final Judging take place in person in Busan, where the Executive Jury and Final Jury determine winners through discussion and voting.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Show on August 28. The Grand Prix of the Year, the festival’s highest honor, is awarded to two entries: one selected from among the Grand Prix winners of the SOLUTION Group, and one from the POSITIVE IMPACT Group.
Final Deadline: June 15 — No Further Extension
MAD STARS 2026 is open for entries across 2 Groups, 25 Stars, and 442 Categories. With its Final Jury taking shape, MAD STARS invites creative teams worldwide to submit their work before the June 15 deadline at madstars.org.
MAD STARS 2026 will take place from August 26 to 28 at SIGNIEL BUSAN and across the Haeundae area in Busan, under the theme “AMPLIFY.”
About the Final Jury
The Final Jury is organized into five specialized panels, each aligned with a specific cluster of Stars within the awards.
Group 1. Traditional (Film, Outdoor, Print, Radio & Audio)
Traditional covers work created for established media channels, highlighting the craft, storytelling, and creative execution that form the foundation of advertising communication.
- Sandipan Bhattacharyya (Executive Jury), Chief Creative Officer, Monks
- Kanit Mingmuang, Executive Creative Director, Wolf BKK
- Mukund Olety, Chief Creative Officer, VML
- Noël Bunting, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis London
- Paulo Mariano, Senior Art Director, O Escritório
- Rick Kwan, Executive Creative Director, Grey Hong Kong
- Rory McKechnie, Executive Creative Director, McCann New Zealand
- Shumpei Murata, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.
- Sunghyuk Hong, Executive Creative Director, Innocean Group
Group 2. Experience (Brand Experience & Activation, Direct, Commerce, PR, Health)
Experience focuses on work that builds meaningful relationships between brands and audiences through participation, engagement, real-world experience, and measurable response.
- Raja Rajamannar (Executive Jury), Senior Fellow, Former Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Mastercard
- Federico Fanti, Regional Chief Creative Officer – MENAT, FP7 McCANN
- Ilya Andreyev, Executive Creative Director, Cheil CIS
- Karan Novas, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Tulom
- Mark Verhagen, Executive Creative Director, VML Brisbane & Perth
- Roman Carlo Olivarez, Executive Creative Director, TREYNA Group Philippines
- Satoshi Chikayama, Executive Creative Director, HAKUHODO
- Wendy Chan, Creative Partner, EXE Group
- WonSook Kang, Group Creative Director, HSAD Group
Group 3. Entertainment (Branded Entertainment, Entertainment for Music, Entertainment for Game, Entertainment for Sports, Design, Diverse Insights)
Entertainment recognizes content-led creative work that connects with audiences through entertainment, culture, music, games, sports, design, and shared experiences.
- Anny Havercroft (Executive Jury), Global Head of Product MarComs, TikTok
- Alex Pineda, Chief Creative Officer, Horizon FCB Dubai
- Diego Medvedocky, Global Creative Partner, GREY
- Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclimeº
- Mo Chen, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\China
- Shane Geffen, National Executive Creative Director, HERO McCann
- Yeong Eun Kook, Creative Director, DAEHONG Group
Group 4. Strategy (Strategy, Integrated, Media, Data Insights, SDGs, Place Brand)
Strategy evaluates work driven by strategic thinking, media planning, data insights, and integrated execution, including campaigns that create business, social, or place-brand value.
- Tara McKenty (Executive Jury), Chief Creative Officer, AKQA Australia & New Zealand
- Babak Madandar, Chief Executive Officer, BOOM Marcom
- Chow Kok Keong, Creative Partner, k2x
- Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag, Chief Executive Officer, KMG Group
- Lissette Guzman, Chief Creative Officer, McCann Santo Domingo
- Martin Tsai, Business & Creative Partner, SAATCHI & SAATCHI Taiwan
- Mohammad Akrum Hossain, Chief Creative Officer, POP5
- Sulin Lau, Regional Head of Marketing, Brand and Creative, Grab
- Takahiro Hosoda, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\HAKUHODO Group
Group 5. Digital (Mobile, Interactive, Social & Influencer, Innovation)
Digital covers work shaped by digital environments, including mobile, social, interactive, influencer-led, and technology-driven ideas that create new forms of audience experience.
- Aurora Straton (Executive Jury), Creative Lead, Google
- Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo International Vietnam
- Fabio Seidl, Global Head of Creative and Brand, X (Twitter & X AI)
- Hyounwoo Nam, Executive Creative Director, TBWA KOREA
- Kazuki Tsuburaku, Managing Director & Executive Creative Partner, Dentsu Digital
- Nikki Sunga, Group Creative Director, BBDO Guerrero
- Nkanyezi Masango, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South Africa
- Titipun Tubthong, Head of Creative, Brilliant & Million
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of MAD STARS 2026.
